If you live in the mountains....
11-26-20, 08:28 PM
#26
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Originally Posted by cubewheels
I'm simply looking to get faster on the long and steep climbs. I run out of breath long before my legs burn if I don't pace and push a little harder. I'm thinking if I'm looking to get faster on the steep climbs, I really need to work on my aerobic fitness.
Getting short on breath is the worst feeling and makes you want to get off the the bike and do the embarrasing walk of shame on the way up! Don't know if it's the Covid mask (which is mandatory under the law without any exceptions, not even if you're climbing long and steep hills!)
Getting short on breath is the worst feeling and makes you want to get off the the bike and do the embarrasing walk of shame on the way up! Don't know if it's the Covid mask (which is mandatory under the law without any exceptions, not even if you're climbing long and steep hills!)
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11-26-20, 11:14 PM
#27
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Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
When breath is the limiter before legs, drop your cadence, i.e. gear up. It probably is the mask, but doesn't matter. Fix is the same.
11-27-20, 11:14 AM
#28
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Originally Posted by cubewheels
Works in less steep climbs. In the really steep climbs, I lose a bit of speed if I shift up just one cog when pedaling out of the saddle. I could imagine speeding up a bit since I'm using my weight to push down on the pedals out of the saddle but wasn't the case. Maybe the bike's huge 40 lbs weight against my 120 lbs weight is making a huge impact in tiny gear selections?
You shouldn't need to climb steep hills standing. You should be able to turn the cranks seated. You can start with your trainer. Set the gear or resistance until when you are turning 50-55 cadence seated, you are breathing hard and your HR is elevated almost to your LTHR. Your upper body must not move, very little force on the bars, do it entirely with your legs. Do 3 X 10 X 10 intervals after a good warmup. When you can do that, do it on your hills. Problem though: this can only be done with clips or clipless. Flats are useless. In fact this whole problem could be that you are using flats. Of course you can't climb in flats. No one has used flats for hard riding since about 1910 or thereabouts.
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11-27-20, 08:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
While the heavy bike has an impact, it has that same impact in every gear. The problem here is that you're simply not strong enough to turn the gear. It's not just the legs, it's your whole posterior chain. Try this: holding the bike over your head, do as many squats as you can, 3 sets. If you can't do that, start without the bike or weight yourself in some other way, by holding objects in your hands.
You shouldn't need to climb steep hills standing. You should be able to turn the cranks seated. You can start with your trainer. Set the gear or resistance until when you are turning 50-55 cadence seated, you are breathing hard and your HR is elevated almost to your LTHR. Your upper body must not move, very little force on the bars, do it entirely with your legs. Do 3 X 10 X 10 intervals after a good warmup. When you can do that, do it on your hills. Problem though: this can only be done with clips or clipless. Flats are useless. In fact this whole problem could be that you are using flats. Of course you can't climb in flats. No one has used flats for hard riding since about 1910 or thereabouts.
You shouldn't need to climb steep hills standing. You should be able to turn the cranks seated. You can start with your trainer. Set the gear or resistance until when you are turning 50-55 cadence seated, you are breathing hard and your HR is elevated almost to your LTHR. Your upper body must not move, very little force on the bars, do it entirely with your legs. Do 3 X 10 X 10 intervals after a good warmup. When you can do that, do it on your hills. Problem though: this can only be done with clips or clipless. Flats are useless. In fact this whole problem could be that you are using flats. Of course you can't climb in flats. No one has used flats for hard riding since about 1910 or thereabouts.
I'm still faster than the guys who do steep climbs on expensive lightweight bikes with clipless pedals whether I'm sitted or standing. I have no problems pulling on the upstroke with flats.
I'm not out to prove that flats is just as good as clipless. I will get clipless pedals eventually as I do value the more stable footing of clipless when I'm out of the saddle. Still saving up for it, it's probably going to be the most expensive upgrade I'll get for my $250 bike yet!
Last edited by cubewheels; 11-27-20 at 08:21 PM.
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11-27-20, 09:01 PM
#30
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Originally Posted by cubewheels
No problems with squats while carrying the heavy bike. I can do steep climbs seated but it's slower that's why I prefer standing (going sitted for brief periods to recover and then standing again).
I'm still faster than the guys who do steep climbs on expensive lightweight bikes with clipless pedals whether I'm sitted or standing. I have no problems pulling on the upstroke with flats.
I'm not out to prove that flats is just as good as clipless. I will get clipless pedals eventually as I do value the more stable footing of clipless when I'm out of the saddle. Still saving up for it, it's probably going to be the most expensive upgrade I'll get for my $250 bike yet!
I'm still faster than the guys who do steep climbs on expensive lightweight bikes with clipless pedals whether I'm sitted or standing. I have no problems pulling on the upstroke with flats.
I'm not out to prove that flats is just as good as clipless. I will get clipless pedals eventually as I do value the more stable footing of clipless when I'm out of the saddle. Still saving up for it, it's probably going to be the most expensive upgrade I'll get for my $250 bike yet!
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11-28-20, 01:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
Yeah. The real cost is the shoes. One can get pedals at a fairly low cost. They don't need to be fancy or particularly light. They're on Amazon for under $50. I started out with inexpensive MTB shoes. You can find decent ones for under $100. They have to fit is all. You'll be astonished, I guarantee it.
I'm definitely getting the cheapest pedals out there to save me from worries when I need to park the bike outside during errands and also easier on the budget too. Cheapest shoes I can find as well. I can probably put something together for $50. Which is nothing to most members here. But to me, it's a significant expenditure!
12-01-20, 09:03 PM
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Originally Posted by cubewheels
I realized if you lived smacked dab middle of the mountian with plenty of long, steep gradients, there's just no way to make easy recovery rides especially if you have to commute daily up and down the mountain. You'll just have to grow and adapt to it until it becomes "easy" but until that, it will lots of pain.
You can even use road and mountain triple cranks with pie plate size cogs.
Last edited by Drew Eckhardt; 12-01-20 at 09:08 PM.
12-01-20, 09:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Drew Eckhardt
Gears.
You can even use road and mountain triple cranks with pie plate size cogs.
You can even use road and mountain triple cranks with pie plate size cogs.
12-03-20, 07:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
While the heavy bike has an impact, it has that same impact in every gear. The problem here is that you're simply not strong enough to turn the gear. It's not just the legs, it's your whole posterior chain. Try this: holding the bike over your head, do as many squats as you can, 3 sets. If you can't do that, start without the bike or weight yourself in some other way, by holding objects in your hands.
You shouldn't need to climb steep hills standing. You should be able to turn the cranks seated. You can start with your trainer. Set the gear or resistance until when you are turning 50-55 cadence seated, you are breathing hard and your HR is elevated almost to your LTHR. Your upper body must not move, very little force on the bars, do it entirely with your legs. Do 3 X 10 X 10 intervals after a good warmup. When you can do that, do it on your hills. Problem though: this can only be done with clips or clipless. Flats are useless. In fact this whole problem could be that you are using flats. Of course you can't climb in flats. No one has used flats for hard riding since about 1910 or thereabouts.
You shouldn't need to climb steep hills standing. You should be able to turn the cranks seated. You can start with your trainer. Set the gear or resistance until when you are turning 50-55 cadence seated, you are breathing hard and your HR is elevated almost to your LTHR. Your upper body must not move, very little force on the bars, do it entirely with your legs. Do 3 X 10 X 10 intervals after a good warmup. When you can do that, do it on your hills. Problem though: this can only be done with clips or clipless. Flats are useless. In fact this whole problem could be that you are using flats. Of course you can't climb in flats. No one has used flats for hard riding since about 1910 or thereabouts.
I didn't notice the problem for a long time (I'm probably too preoccupied catching my breath). I only noticed the problem when I saw bruising around the knee area after doing that very difficult climb long time out of the saddle.
It was exactly the same area where my legs contacted the top tube. Now I've been consciously trying to rock the bike less and seemed to have solved the problem.
It so happened that having less weight partially solved the problem because I'm simply impacting the top tube with less force.
